Jenee Broussard is where she is because she is not a quitter. She’s positive about that.

“I was starting my internship for my graduate program at Healing House,” she said. “After the first day, I was ready to give up. I went home and told my husband, and he said ‘You’re not going to quit because you’re not a quitter.’”

Her husband was correct. Broussard continued to work with Healing House as she completed her coursework for her master’s degree in social work at LSU in Baton Rouge. She then took a full-time position with Healing House.

It was only a matter of a few years before she became the executive director for the non-profit. Now, 10 years later, she can still tell it was the right move.

“I love what I do,” Broussard said.

Healing House is a non-profit that helps children who are either anticipating or have experienced the death of a family member or other important person in their lives. The organization gives children the chance to share, in a group atmosphere, their thoughts and feelings with other children who are going through the same difficult experiences in the belief that sharing their stories, feelings and memories can be a powerful way to help grieving children heal.

Healing House is south Louisiana’s only grief center for children who’ve experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver, Broussard said.

That work brings Broussard in contact with children and teens at some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. Dealing with anyone at a time of loss is challenging, but bringing the compassion and caring needed to guide a fragile young soul through the process of loss and acceptance takes an especially empathetic touch.

As part of her professional life, she also serves as a member of the National Alliance for Grieving Children, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. 

She also is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, which is an international professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence and recognizing diversity in death education, care of the dying and grief counseling.

Broussard’s work with Healing House is not her only outlet in the community. A Leadership Iberia graduate, Broussard also has a vested interest in helping the New Iberia community grow as she and her husband raise two sons.

Toward that end, she is involved in the St. Edward’s School, serving as an advisory council member and the Tuition Assistance Committee chairperson. 

She also has served as a member of Les Jeunes Amies, a woman’s civic club in New Iberia dedicated to promoting cultural and civic activities in the community while keeping the needs of women and children at the forefront.

“I was starting my internship for my graduate program at Healing House. After the first day, I was ready to give up. I went home and told my husband, and he said ‘You’re not going to quite because you’re not a quitter.”                   

 — Jenee Broussard